1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to closed system storage plates that are used for the storage of specimens. More particularly, the invention relates to closed system storage plates that include a multi-well specimen collection plate and a cover suitable for storing a plurality of small quantities of specimens such as blood from a patient. The closed system storage plates provide access to the interior of each well without the need for removing the cover from the multi-well collection plate and maintains each specimen in secure fashion for subsequent testing.
2. Description of Related Art
Analytical instrumentation has made it possible to carry out a variety of hematological diagnostic procedures on very small quantities of blood. The blood may be collected from a small puncture placed in a patient's finger or ear lobe. When multiple specimens are collected, a microplate with a plurality of wells is used and the specimens are placed in the wells for subsequent analysis and testing. Typically, the microplate has a common cover for all of the microplate wells.
The growth in medical and pharmaceutical research as well as diagnostic analysis and testing has created a need for equipment and procedures for low cost, efficient handing of samples. Microplates having a plurality of sample wells provide a convenient means to store samples. However, despite improvements in sample handling equipment, many applications require an unacceptable amount of manual handling to cover or uncover the samples. In order for a laboratory technician to conduct tests on the blood samples which are collected in a microplate, the cover must be removed from all of the wells to provide access to the blood samples. When the laboratory technician tests a large number of wells, spillage and contamination of the samples becomes more likely. As a result, testing takes longer and the technician must proceed with greater care.
Mat caps have been used for storing multiple specimens. Typically, mat caps are thin films with adhesive coating and thin materials such as a plastic sheet that can be heat sealed to storage plates. The mat caps are fabricated from a pliable material that seals the plate by dimensional interference. However, mat caps and similar products require the cover to be removed for content access. Some mat caps are advertised to be pierceable, but none are resealable. Other methods for specimen storage include attaching thin films with adhesive coatings or other thin materials to the top of storage plates. Although these storage assemblies are pierceable, they cannot be resealed after they have been pierced.
To access a specific sample with the current mat cap designs, it is necessary to uncover all adjacent wells containing samples as well as the specific target well. Under these circumstances, all well contents are exposed to the environmental surroundings that can affect sample evaporation. Uncovering the samples also exposes the sample to ambient moisture, which can compromise the sample integrity. The possibility of contaminating samples in adjacent wells due to spillage or aerosols is also a concern.
Therefore, there is a need for a multi-well specimen storage plate that (i) independently seals each of the wells; (ii) provides a resealable well cover for easy access into each well by a needle or probe and also prevents specimen leakage out of the well; (iii) maintains the specimens in secure fashion; and (iv) prevents contamination of the specimens and exposure of the specimen to the user.